Family

The Driehaus Museum

Samuel Mayo Nickerson came to Chicago in the late 1850s with his bride Mathilda. After earning his first fortune in the liquor industry, Nickerson moved into banking and became president of the First National Bank in 1867. He commissioned the architectural firm of Burling & Whitehouse to build this mansion in 1879, replacing the original home destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire.

The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace

Clarence Hemingway, a doctor, and Grace Hall Hemingway, an opera performer, raised their son Ernest in a loving environment of learning, music, religion, and art. These early influences inspired much of his later work on these subjects.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

Wright firmly believed that the American family was integral to the successful future of American society. The Robie House, with its open, communal plan and central hearth was designed to foster family engagement and well-being.

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

The Madlener House was built for Albert and Elsa Madlener, a young couple whose families emigrated to the United States from Germany and made their fortunes in the brewing and distribution business. With their reputation for gracious entertaining, it is said that invitations to the Madlener’s home were never refused.

National Public Housing Museum

The National Public Housing Museum has gathered an archive of oral histories of people with meaningful connections to public housing. These memories inspire exhibitions and tours. Visitors can hear stories from residents of the Jane Addams Homes when visiting three recreated apartments that represent life in public housing between 1938 and 1975.

Roger Brown Study Collection

Roger Brown was deeply connected with his roots. Early interest in family origins flowered into extensive genealogical research; tracing his autobiographical path became an obsession. Genealogical discoveries—like finding he was related to Elvis Presley—were woven into many paintings, and family relics are tucked into corners of the Roger Brown Study Collection.